“If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.”
― Mario Andretti

“Climbers on your marks…ready…beep…beep…BEEP”. And with that speed climbers instantly initiate their highly refined start to begin a 15-meter race. The start is the most important part of a speed climbing race. It is where you initial momentum is created that carries you throughout a good portion of the climb. If you don’t have a strong start, you will not have a great run.

When the 15 meter speed climbing route was first created, there was a clear path (known as “beta” by climbers) from start to finish and no one improved that beta for years. In the last four years, there have been two significant innovations. More and more climbers have been switching to not using Hold Two on the speed route. People are innovating to decrease their time by eliminating excess holds that add extra time to climbing the route.

The new starts use the basic theory that the fastest way between two points is a straight line. The start innovations eliminate touching certain holds and attempt to literally go as straight up as possible. The start in speed climbing, like that in traditional sprinting, is so important to achieving a great time on the 15-meter wall. Thus both men and women professional speed climbers who compete on the World Cup circuit are continually innovating their starts these days.

Traditional Start

The red path on the start diagram below shows the Traditional start. Unlike the newer starts, you use Hold Two. While it is quicker to go straight up using the newer starts, this start is a good choice for anyone who does not have the strength or who cannot do the other two moves consistently. Many climbers still use the traditional start but most professional speed climbers today are moving to the newer, faster starts.

The Reza

The blue route is commonly called the Reza. It was invented and popularized by the current world record holder, Iranian Reza Alipour. Reza created this new start because the traditional start was not fast enough for him. If he wanted to get the world record, he knew he had to innovate. His start cuts off some time by not using Hold Two, but since the initial jump is so big, it can be risky and you potentially lose some consistency on the start.

The Tomoa

The green path is called the Tomoa. It is theoretically the fastest of all of the starts. As shown in the start diagram, it essentially goes straight up from when you first take off, which saves significant amounts of time. If you can get the initial move down, it is also fairly consistent. This being said, you have to be very strong to execute it successfully. It does not have one massive jump like the Reza. The Tomoa is considered to be the best start sequence for now. Even though it was only originated recently by the Japanese climber Tomoa Narasaki, a large portion of the World Cup speed climbers are already using it today.

Tomoa created it because he was shorter and was unable to keep up with others when he used the traditional start. He was also more of a boulderer which meant that he had not done much speed climbing. For the 2020 Olympics, you have to compete in all three climbing disciplines (sport, bouldering, and speed). Climbing will be a “combined” event similar to the decathlon which has ten track and field events. This combined event format meant that Tomoa had to adapt to get good at speed climbing in order to have a chance at qualifying for the Japanese Olympic climbing team. He decided to create his own “beta” to get up the wall faster. Once other climbers in the World Cup circuit saw it, some of them quickly incorporated it into their start. Apparently, there are no copyrights on speed starts!

Pros and cons of the different starts

Out of the three starts, the Tomoa is generally considered the fastest but takes a massive amount of strength to successfully execute. The Reza is the second fastest but is one of the least consistent if not practiced exhaustively. Finally the Traditional start is the slowest, but also the easiest to pull off and the most consistent, making it good for those new to speed climbing. While some starts are generally considered faster, the speed of each start depends on the person. Additionally, even though some starts may have a slight advantage, it is still very possible to win and have a strong time using any of the three starts. As an example, I’ve used the Traditional start on the 15-meter wall for the last two years and have competed well with it.

The difference between a well-executed Tomoa and a well-executed Reza is close to zero. And while it is now very difficult to set a world record with the Traditional start, it is still possible to win World Cups using it. Speed climbing is not only about speed but consistency. Being comfortable is vital for consistency, which is why many climbers are still using the Traditional start.

The traditional start is still often used in speed climbing World Cup competitions due to its consistency and professional climbers being used to it. The Reza is generally preferable for taller people while the Tomoa is preferable for shorter people. This is because to successfully complete the Tomoa, you have to fit inside a theoretical “box” to stay balanced throughout the move. The further you stray outside this small window around Hold One, the greater chance you have of falling off. Shorter people tend to fit inside of the Tomoa “box” better. Many World Cup speed climbers have attempted to perfect the Tomoa. Some realized that another start may be more beneficial and ended up not switching over.

The Reza and the Traditional Start are much more linear starts where your speed depends on your power. For the Tomoa, an equilibrium between explosiveness and balance is needed. Both the Reza and the Tomoa require a dynamic jump with some time in the air. Even though the Tomoa is thought to be the fastest start technique, Reza still holds the 15-meter world record using his namesake start. Some climbers have come close to beating Reza’s record 5.48 second time, but his time has held up for over 2.5 years.

The optimal speed start comes down to your preference based on your body type, strength, and comfort level.